Star Wars Battlefront will be EA’s “major” shooter of next year, out by Christmas 2015

Thank goodness for the insatiable inquisitiveness of shareholders. It’s them we have to thank for any news at all on DICE’s reboot of Star Wars Battlefront. EA see the competitive Lucas shooter as their big FPS of next year – but it’s been pushed back from a tentative summer release spot to Christmas 2015.

EA pitched Battlefront as 2015’s “major first-person shooter” in an investor call last night – though it won’t arrive until the tail end of the year. The timing makes a certain amount of sense: JJ Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII is penciled in for December 18.

Battlefront fits into a far-reaching schedule of DICE-related shooters that will take us right up till the end of 2016. EA have mapped out a new Battlefield Hardline release date for March, and we can expect another Battlefield between October and December 2016.

It all looks pretty hectic from here – but an apologetic Andrew Wilson seemed to think the proposed timeline was a bit sluggish.

“We want to give Battlefield 4 and Battlefield Hardline players more time to enjoy these games and immerse themselves in a game, the live service, and the community,” the CEO explained.

“As a result of the extended services and content updates that we provide, it’s clear that players want to experience the games we’re delivering for longer periods of time,” Wilson went on. “Looking into next year, we will ensure that our players have enough time between releases to fully explore the depth and innovation in our shooter titles.”

Wilson reckons Battlefield 4 has managed to hold the attention of existing players and attract a new set of fans in recent months. Does that reflect your experience with the game?